Tuscany

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October 19th 2006

Published: October 19th 2006

Oh, Italy, how glorious you are, Italy. I just spent a wonderful weekend in Tuscany, at a beautiful guesthouse, Fattoria Bassetto in a little village called Certaldo.

I went to San Gimignano on my way from Rome to Certaldo, a town famous for its medieval towers and for its hordes of tourists. Well, it's not meant to be famous for them, but it's got PLANELOADS of them. San Gimignano is indeed a beautiful village - Italians appear to have a knack for doing beautiful villages - but it's so heavily touristed (yes, I was one of them), and there were so few Italian residents there, that it didn't feel like it had much of a soul. It did, however, have 17 towers, a church with frescoes by someone (will look it up later), and a spectacular walk with spectacular views along the old wall of the city.

That evening I arrived in Certaldo, at my lovely guesthouse, to be told that I could either cook dinner myself using tomatoes and basil grown in their garden, or I could go to the food and wine festival in town and sample delights from the region. As tempting as home-grown produce was, the festival was more so. So 30 minutes later, the charming Alessandro drove me into town and off I climbed up the big hill to the stunning palace. I nibbled on cheese, pasta, bread in oil and wine, and at some point was accosted by an American asking me if I were Nina! Indeed I am, I replied, and it transpired that the charming Alessandro had picked she (Sofia) and her friend (Gary) up from the station after dropping me off, told them about the festival and that they should look out for a curly-haired woman with an eyebrow ring. We hit it off straightaway, sharing a love of good food and wine and interest in human rights (they're studing international humanitarian law at the Nobel Institute; Gary is a vegetarian too). Armed with my new friends, we drank more wine and then had dinner in an old castle, which was one of the best dinners of my LIFE. TRUFFLE RISOTTO. What a taste sensation! That's where it's at, I tell you. Simple, and not a very pretty dish - soupy rice with brown flecks - but oh my giddy aunt, does it taste good. After dinner, we tripped down the hill, before stumbling across a happening tabacchi where we stopped for our digestifs (Amaretto Salerno - you know there's more than one kind of Amaretto?! Well there is, and Salerno is the almond-y one), and amusing conversation with Italians hanging out the front and the drunk bartender. It was authentic.

The next day I went to Florence, which just doesn't do it for me. Too many tourists (yes, I am one of them). This time I only went to the Uffizi, which was very impressive. Lots of statues and paintings and drawings. I had a reservation to go to the Uffizi and when I checked the times for the trains to Florence while at the hostel, I discovered that the only train the Florence that morning would get me there 30 minutes late for my entry to the Uffizi... upon which the lovely Alessandro drove me half an hour to Empoli, another town closer to Florence, from where I was able to get a train and get to the Uffizi on time. That's how good this guesthouse is!

That evening was more wine and good food at the guesthouse in Certaldo hanging out with four other Melburnians (we're EVERYWHERE), a Kiwi (that's a New Zealander), the two Americans and an Irish guy, in front of the fire. Exceedingly pleasant.

The third day, I sadly left Fattoria Bassetto, and went with Rachel from Melbourne to Siena, a very charming medieval town with a stunning church. It's crazy, with the most amazing floor - different artists carved marble pictures for the floor! The floor is covered ten months of the year, to preserve it; the open months are September and October. Then there's also some very impressive paintings. Siena has a lot of tourists like Florence and San Gimignano, but people live there too, there's a university, and it's got a really nice feel to it.

All in all, 10 out of 10 for Tuscany.

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